Motor vehicle steering column switch

ABSTRACT

A switch assembly is provided for mounting on an end of a steering column sheath in which is disposed a motor vehicle steering column. The switch assembly includes a plurality of individual switches. Each switch comprises a housing with electrical connectors and an actuating element. At least first and second switches of the switch assembly include cooperating guide means including a spring and a releasable clip connector so that the second switch can be slid onto the first switch against the force of the spring and fixed in an end position by the releasable clip connector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a motor vehicle steering column switch, whichis disposed on the end of a steering column sheath, which receives thesteering column, and has a plurality of individual switches, eachcomprising a housing with electrical connectors and an actuatingelement.

In a steering column switch known from DE 43 05 827 A1, which was notpublished before the priority date of the present application, theindividual switches are all fastened to a carrier plate. Each individualswitch is slid onto the carrier plate via corresponding guide means,which are provided both on the carrier plate and on the individualswitch, and affixed by a releasable clip connector. For the fastening ofa plurality of individual switches, the carrier plate must havesufficient room to embody all guide means as well as clip connectors.This goes for the fastening of individual switches both on the peripheryof the carrier plate and in the depths of the carrier plate, that is inthe direction of the course of the steering column. As a result of theserequirements, the carrier plate is very large, and this is reflected inthe tools and the tool costs connected with them. In individualswitches, which are fastened to the carrier plate behind one another,sufficient intermediate space must be available for assembly, by meansof which the structural size is further increased. In the course ofstabilizing, the carrier plate installed in the vehicle is designed sothat a maximal configuration with individual switches is possible. As aresult, a large carrier plate is always installed, which takes up a lotof space, even when the guide means are not occupied. Due to the maximalcarrier plate, the heaviest embodiment is also always in the vehicle,which contradicts efforts to reduce weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A object of the invention is to provide a steering column of the typementioned at the beginning, in which individual switches, without theaid of a tool, can be quickly and easily connected to one another,without play, and detached again without altering the carrier plate.

This object is attained, according to the invention, by the provision ofa switch assembly for a steering column wherein at least one individualswitch can be slid onto another individual switch against the force of aspring by the cooperation of corresponding guide means and is fixed inits end position by a releasable clip connector.

According to an advantageous improvement of the invention, the oneindividual switch is fastened on the end of the steering column sheathand the other individual switch can be slid as a slide-on switch ontothe housing of the base switch. Consequently, the base switch occupiesthe space on the steering column sheath or its carrier plate and isfixed there. No additional space or additional guide means is requiredon the carrier plate for the slide-on switch, by means of which thecarrier plate can be small and the number of carrier plates can be keptlow.

It is furthermore preferable that at least one sliding block is providedon the slide-on switch, which engages a groove of the base switch.Integrating the groove in the base switch is advantageous insofar asthere are no protruding shaped elements behind which electrical lines orother elements provided on the steering column can get caught.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the subject of theinvention, two sliding blocks of the slide-on switch, which arevirtually the same length as the housing of the base switch and aresupported on the housing via tabs, are provided on ribs on the housingof the slide-on switch, to prevent catching of the electrical lines andfor upgrading with an improved embodiment of the guide.

In an advantageous improvement of the invention, each sliding block ofthe slide-on switch is embodied as T-shaped. The face between the riband the head of the sliding block is as sloped. Furthermore, the grooveof the base switch functionally comprises walls formed perpendicular tothe housing and one angle element running perpendicular to each wall,with the angle elements oriented toward one another. The inner surfacebetween wall and angle element is sloped, and the wall and the angleelement are joined together on one end of the groove. This embodiment ofpaired shaped elements guarantees good induction of force into thehousing and a precise fit tolerance, and prevents the incorrectinsertion of the shaped elements.

In order to obtain a play-free clip connection, it is further preferablyprovided that the spring, which is embodied as a coil spring, isinserted in captive fashion into a blind bore in the housing of theslide-on switch.

According to an advantageous improvement of the invention, one wall ofthe blind bore has a slot, which runs axially to the blind bore. In thiscase, the opposite or countersupport of the coil spring can be keptshort.

According to an advantageous improvement of the invention, the oppositesupport is embodied by the fact that a projection in the shape of atruncated cone is attached to the housing of the base switch. When theclip connection is produced, this projection protrudes into the slot ofthe blind bore in the housing of the slide-on switch and compresses thespring.

According to a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, theclip connector has a resilient clip arm with a clip nose, which engagesbehind a shoulder of a clip rib. According to an advantageousimprovement of the invention, the resilient clip arm of the clipconnector is disposed on the housing of the slide-on switch and the cliprib with the shoulder is disposed on the housing of the base switch inorder to make possible a cost effective production of the clip elementsas well as a release of the clip connection by hand. The resilient cliparm has a release lever, which protrudes into an empty space via theshoulder of the clip rib.

The concept underlying the invention is explained in the descriptionbelow from an exemplary embodiment which is shown in the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a top view of a steering column switch with steering columnsheath, steering column, and carrier plate.

FIG. 2 shows a view of the steering column switch according to FIG. 1 inthe direction of the arrow II with partial sections.

FIG. 3 shows a view of the steering column switch according to FIG. 1 inthe direction of the arrow III.

FIG. 4 shows a partial section according to FIG. 2 in the direction ofthe arrows IV--IV.

FIG. 5 shows an enlargement of a section through FIG. 4 in the directionof the arrows V--V.

FIG. 6 shows a view of the base switch viewed toward the connectingelements.

FIG. 7 shows a view of the slide-on switch viewed toward the connectingelements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The steering column switch includes two individual switches: a baseswitch 1 and a slide-on switch 2. The base switch 1 has an actuatinglever 3 and a push button 4. The housing 5 of the base body 1 is laidout as angled and is disposed over a carrier plate 6, which is fastenedto the steering column sheath 7. The steering column 8 is supported inthe steering column sheath 7. The base switch 1 is fastened to thecarrier plate 6 via screw fastening eyes 9. On the actuating lever 3 ofthe base switch 1, there is an elastic cuff 10, which covers the entryopening of the actuating lever 3 into the housing 5 of the baseswitch 1. Sleeves 11, which are longer than the screw fastening eyes 9of the housing 5, are inserted into the screw fastening eyes 9. Anencompassing collar 12 is formed on the side of the housing 5 of thebase switch 1, opposite from the actuating lever 3, which collarprotects the electrical connectors 13.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the back end 14 of the housing 5 has a steppedconfiguration. The housing 15 of the slide-on switch 2 also has astepped configuration that compliments the shape of housing 14.Furthermore, the slide-on switch 2 has an actuating element 16 with anaffiliated cuff 17. In the frontal region, the actuating element 16 hasa further push button 18. The base switch 1 and the slide-on switch 2are each individual switches, which can slide onto each other by thecooperation of corresponding guide means 19 against the force of aspring 20. The end position is fixed by a releasable clip connector 21.

The individual switch used as the base switch 1 is fastened to the endof the steering column sheath 7. The individual switch, which isembodied as the slide-on switch 2, can be slid onto the housing 5 of thebase switch 1. At least one sliding block 22 is provided on the slide-onswitch 2 and engages a groove 23 of the base switch 1.

Ribs 24 are provided on the housing 15 of the slide-on switch and carrytwo sliding blocks 22. The sliding blocks 22 are virtually the samelength as the housing 5 of the base switch 1. The protruding region ofthe sliding blocks 22 is supported on the housing 15 of the slide-onswitch 2 via tabs 25. Each sliding block 22 of the slide-on switch 2 isT-shaped. The face 26 between the rib 24 and the head 27 of the slidingblock is embodied as sloped. Each groove 23 of the base body 1 compriseswalls 28 formed perpendicular to the housing 5 and an angle element 29running perpendicular to each wall 28. The angle elements 29 areoriented toward one another. The inner surface 30 between wall 28 andangle element 29 is made in its slope to fit the course of the face 26of the sliding block 22. On one end 31 of the groove 23, the wall 28 andthe angle element 29 are connected.

Between the housing 5 of the base switch 1 and the housing 15 of theslide-on switch 2, a spring 20, which is embodied as a coil spring, isinserted in captive fashion into a blind bore 33 in the housing 15 ofthe slide-on switch 2. The spring 20 is secured in captive fashion bymeans of a star-shaped nipple on the bottom of the blind bore 33 or bymeans of wedge-shaped points on the circumference of the blind bore 33,which means are not shown. In the wall toward the housing of the baseswitch 1, the blind bore 33 has a slot 34 which is axial with the blindbore 33. A projection 35 in the shape of a truncated cone is provided onthe housing 5 of the base switch 1. When the clip connector 21 isbrought together, the projection 35 in the shape of a truncated coneprotrudes into a slot 34 of the blind bore 33 in the housing 15 of theslide-on switch 2 and compresses the spring 20. A half shell 36 is letinto the housing 15 of the slide-on switch 2 for the insertion of thespring 20 into the blind bore 33. The ends of the sliding blocks 22 andthe grooves 23 are matched to one another in slope. For greater ease ininserting the guide means 19, insert bevels 37 are provided on thegrooves 23.

The clip connector 21 includes a resilient clip arm 38 with anaffiliated clip nose 39, which engages behind a shoulder 40 of a cliprib 41. The resilient clip arm 38 for the clip connector 21 is disposedon the housing 15 of the slide-on switch 2. The clip rib 41 with theshoulder 40 is disposed on the housing 5 of the base switch 1. When theguide means 19 are slid together, the projection 35 engages the slot 34and slides the spring 20 so that it compresses. At the same time, theresilient clip arm 38 slides along on the housing 5 of the base switch1, moves out of the way of the housing 5 of the base switch 1, andengages with its clip nose 39 behind the shoulder 40. The resilient cliparm 38 has a release lever 42, which protrudes into an empty space 43via the shoulder 40 of the clip rib 41. To release the clip connector21, the resilient arm 38 is moved at its release lever 42 in thedirection of the slide-on switch 2. The clip nose 39 releases from theshoulder 40, the spring 20 presses the guide means 19 of the base switch1 and the slide-on switch 2 apart from each other until the clipconnector 21 is released. The clip connector 21 can be reinstated bypushing the base switch 1 and the slide-on switch 2 together.

We claim:
 1. A switch assembly for mounting on an end of a steeringcolumn sheath in which is disposed a motor vehicle steering column,comprising: a plurality of individual switches, each switch comprising ahousing with electrical connectors and an actuating element, wherein atleast first and second switches of the switch assembly includecooperating guide means including a spring and a releasable clipconnector so that the second switch can be slid onto the first switchagainst the force of the spring and fixed in an end position by thereleasable clip connector.
 2. The switch assembly according to claim 1,wherein the first switch is fastened on the end of the steering columnsheath and constitutes a base switch, and the second switch slides ontothe housing of the base switch and constitutes a slide-on switch.
 3. Theswitch assembly according to claim 2, wherein the base switch includes agroove and the slide-on switch includes at least one sliding block whichengages in the groove of the base switch.
 4. The switch assemblyaccording to claim 3, wherein the housing of the slide-on switchincludes ribs, the at least one sliding block includes two slidingblocks disposed on the ribs and is about the same length as the housingof the base switch, and the assembly further including tabs supportingthe sliding blocks on the housing of the slide-on switch.
 5. The switchassembly according to claim 4, wherein each sliding block of theslide-on switch is T-shaped and has a head, and a face disposed betweenthe rib and the head which is sloped.
 6. The switch assembly accordingto claim 2, wherein the groove of the base switch comprises walls formedperpendicular to the housing of the base switch, an angle elementrunning perpendicular to each wall, with the angle elements beingoriented toward one another, and an inner surface between a respectivewall and angle element runs at a slope, the walls and the angle elementsbeing joined together on one end of the groove.
 7. The switch assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein the housing of the slide-on switchincludes a blind bore and the spring is a coil spring inserted in acaptive fashion into the blind bore.
 8. The switch assembly according toclaim 7, wherein one wall of the blind bore has a slot which runs axialto the blind bore.
 9. The switch assembly according to claim 8, whereinthe housing of the base switch includes a projection in the shape of atruncated cone which protrudes into the slot of the blind bore in thehousing of the slide-on switch and compresses the spring when theslide-on switch is slid onto the base switch.
 10. The switch assemblyaccording to claim 1, wherein the clip connector includes a clip ribpresenting a shoulder, and a resilient clip arm with a clip nose whichengages behind the shoulder.
 11. The switch assembly according to claim10, the resilient clip arm of the clip connector is disposed on thehousing of the slide-on switch and the clip rib with the shoulder isdisposed on the housing of the base switch, wherein the resilient cliparm has a release lever which protrudes into an empty space via theshoulder of the clip rib.